Please ACT NOW for the
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RIGHT to CONSCIENCE!
In 2006, the Governor, Planned Parenthood, NARAL,
and Northwest Women's Law Center (now Legal Voice) demanded that the
Washington Board of Pharmacy pass regulations forcing pharmacists and
pharmacies to violate their conscience and dispense Plan B , the morning after
pill.Their demands were a part of a national agenda by pro-abortion
groups to eliminate conscience rights for these health care professionals and
to force private businesses to sell early abortifacients such as Plan B and
Ella.
Although the Board initially voted to pass a regulation supporting
conscience rights, it abruptly reversed its position when the Governor
threatened the Board.
In 2007, the Board passed the final regulations that
require pharmacists and pharmacies to dispense drugs like Plan B and Ella, regardless of a pharmacist's religious objection. They prohibit providers from referring patients to nearby providers when the
providers have a conscientious objection, but in practice allow providers to
refer patients for business and secular reasons.
The Stormans family,
which owns pharmacies in Olympia, objected to being forced to violate their
conscience. Under the leadership of Attorney Kristen Waggoner, they
filed suit and have had successes, which I think have something to do with
where we are today.
In a recent turn of events, the Board has
re-opened the rulemaking process.
The Board is considering amending the anti-conscience regulations to allow providers to refer patients to nearby providers if they have a conscientious objection to dispensing a drug. We have a unique opportunity to stand up for life and faith and to change the law.
It is essential that the Board hears the voice of those who support conscience
rights.
Here's how you can help:
1a-1c. Communicate with the Pharmacy Board:
Click here to (a) concur with the Pharmacy Board's amendment to the anti-conscience rules and (b) to provide a written comment on the
Pharmacy Board website. (c) You can also email your own comment to accesstomeds.wsbop@doh.wa.gov. (IMPORTANT: For record-keeping purposes, you must provide your contact information, though comments are posted as anonymous.)
2. Attend the Board of Pharmacy Hearings:
RENTON - Friday, September 17, 2010Time: 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.Place: Blackriver Training and Conference Center800 Oakesdale Ave SW, Renton, WA 98057
(Directions)KENT - Wednesday, September 29, 2010Time: 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.Place: CenterPoint Commons - Conference Center 20809 72nd Avenue South, Kent, WA 98032
3. Consider providing testimony at the
hearings that supports the right of pharmacists and pharmacies to
conscientiously object to dispensing Plan B and Ella.
The pro-abortion groups have sent out many emails
to their supporters urging them to provide written comments and testimony at
the hearings. The pro-abortion people cannot stand the idea that anyone might
disagree with them. They want to coerce anyone who disagrees into being
silent.
Whether or not you provide live testimony, it is important for
the pro-conscience community to stand up and be counted.
We don't want
to miss this opportunity. Please make every effort to add your voice to this very important RIGHT to CONSCIENCE.
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